Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika dies of heart attack
Posted by African Press International on April 6, 2012
The President of Malawi, Mr President Bingu wa Mutharika died early this morning (Friday). The 78-year-old suffered a heart attack, the hospital sources say. He has been leader of the southern African nation for 8 years.
While in his second term in office, he started to groom his younger brother whom he wanted to hand over power when he retires. In order to do so, he chose to kick out of the ruling party in 2010 his vice president Joyce Banda, who according to the constitution is now the right person to take over as President before any elections is done.
The party officials may use this excuse of her being out of the party to deny her taking over the presidency, paving way for someone else, most preferably the former president’s brother.
Mutharika was elected president in 2004 and in 2009 he was re-elected. His popularity was now ging down due to accusation of corruption in his government and mismanagement of the economy.
The hospital personnel tried their best to resuscitate him, without success.
It is reported that his body has been transported to South Africa to embalm and cloth him.
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